The invention relates to an electrosurgical device for selectively carrying out bipolar coagulation or tissue cutting.
In gynecology operations in the lower abdomen have been carried out for a long time with the aid of endoscopes which are inserted through the abdominal wall without opening the abdomen. In more recent time methods have been developed also in general surgery in which the surgical operation is effected with the aid of endoscopes.
Electrosurgical techniques with radio frequency current are in particular used in such operations, in particular for the coagulation of fallopian tubes, for surgical detachment (detachment of intergrowth between organs of the lower abdomen), for stopping bleeding during laparoscopic appendectomy and laparoscopic cholecystectomy or cholecystotomy.
Having regard to the unclear conductive conditions in the lower abdomen the bipolar method is thereby preferred, at least for carrying out coagulations, for which suitable electrosurgical devices or instruments exist. If however tissue cutting is to be carried out monopolar instruments in the form of needle or hook electrodes must generally be used. For this purpose it is necessary that the bipolar coagulation forceps introduced through a laparoscope are exchanged for corresponding monopolar cutting electrodes for which a significant time is required, which is undesirably long for surgical operations.